What was your favorite ‘green’ book of 2009?

‘Green’, as anybody who has seen this site can attest, covers quite a lot of ground. In the somewhat-belated spirit of recapping 2009, I’d like to hear what your favorite books of the last year were. Let the book recommendations begin!

Answers

This is purely a matter of opinion, but The Green Book is a well-organized and accessible guide for anyone interested in making small changes to their everyday lifestyles as a means of going green. World Changing: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century is a very different but equally (if not more) relevant book that focuses on the “bigger picture” issues and bigger steps you can take to make the world better over time, such as green business, socially responsible investing, and philanthropy. It also shows you a glimpse of issues and progress on a global level.

I really liked the Al Gore book Our Choice. This book is an all encompassing book about climate change. It cites the causes, the public opinion around it, the numerous ways we can go about trying to solve it , and the main problem being the lack of a collective will. This book helps point out the urgency needed and the problems in society that hold us back and make the problem worse. It contains graphs and pictures that help visualize the problem as well. It is a well put together book that really takes in the big picture of climate change from cover to cover. It has enough detail and great pictures if you just want to look through it quickly. I attached some reviews of the book as well.

My particular favourite, which I believe falls under the loose category of ‘green,’ was The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. The titular boy is William Kawkwamba, who tells the story with journalist Bryan Mealer. It is the tale of young William creating sustainable and renewable energy in his impoverished African town. With only the supplies he can get his hands on–metal scraps, tractor parts, and wood–he creates a wind mill to power his village. It is a story about curiosity, ingenuity, and a testament that one person can in fact make a difference.

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. He discusses farming and how it affects the environment, our health and our social interactions. What I found most interesting about it is that he gives a lot of information in a non-fiction type way, but still manages to work in a somewhat narrative structure. It is engaging, thought-provoking, entertaining and remarkable — definitely recommended.

The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel. I have an interest in skin care and the spa industry, so its important to me that ecologically sustainable products are used….she outlines which ones are and aren’t, how to identify them, and how to create your own products all with the planet in mind.

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan was a really good book of 2009. The main premise of the book is to eat food, mostly plants, and not too much. This mentality leads to many environmental benefits, and can impact all aspects of the planet.